Europe's most dangerous supervolcano, the Campi Flegrei, is getting closer to a potential eruption, a recent study by scientists warns.
The volcano, located near Naples in southern Italy, has a crust, which is becoming weaker and more prone to rupturing, making an eruption more likely.
Europe's Most Dangerous 'Supervolcano' Likely to Erupt
TOPSHOT - A photo taken on June 6, 2013 shows Pisciarelli fumaroles and mud pools from the Campi Flegrei caldera, a super volcano, near Naples. A slumbering volcano under the Italian city of Naples shows signs of "reawakening" and may be reaching a critical pressure point, according to a study published on December 20, 2016.
Scientists have warned that Europe's most dangerous 'supervolcano' might be inching closer to an eruption. With mounting evidence and recent developments, the stage is set for a potential geological showdown.
According to Space.com, the Campi Flegrei volcano in southern Italy, dubbed as a "supervolcano," is "moving closer to rupture," according to scientists.
The lead author of a recent study of the supervolcano, Christopher Kilburn, says their researcher confirmed that Campi Flegrei is inches away from its next explosion.
Kilburn, a University College London (UCL) Earth Science professor, notes that it does not necessarily mean that the "supervolcano" is guaranteed to be erupting soon. Instead, he explains, "The rupture may open a crack through the crust, but the magma still needs to be pushing up at the right location for an eruption to occur."
Only time will tell if the fiery beast remains dormant for now.
The study by UCL and the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) in Italy researchers found that the stage is set for an eruption. The research shows that the current conditions are leaning toward a potential explosion. But as mentioned, it is not certain that an eruption is coming our way.
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Campi Flegrei Supervolcano
As Euro News reports, the Campi Flegrei is a caldera volcano, which means it has collapsed in on itself after a previous eruption. Forbes says that Campi Flegrei, which in Italian means "burning fields," sits in the Bay of Naples and is roughly 8 miles wide.
The last instance the "supervolcano" unleashed its wrath was when it erupted way back in 1538, roughly 485 years ago.
Hundreds of years have passed since its last explosion, but this time it now possesses a higher risk of a dangerous eruption.
More than 1 million residents live near the most dangerous volcano on the European continent. Euro News notes that around half a million of 500,000 people reside within the red zone. It is the area with the highest risk of a potential eruption, according to the Civil Protection Agency of Italy.
Besides people living in the risky red zone, roughly 800,000 more residents consider the yellow zone as their home.
The new study by scientists warned that some parts of the "supervolcano" are now inching closer to their breaking point. Although the research finds that a massive explosion is less likely to occur, it still predicts that it could trigger small eruptions.
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